How to Do Roof Carpentry

Roof carpentry is the construction and installation of a building’s roof frame. It can be done using a premade truss system or from scratch, depending on the design and materials used. Rough carpentry is the rough building of the skeleton of a structure; finish carpentry includes the fine details like trim, doors and windows.

To get started with roof framing, you need to create a plan for the structure. This should include a diagram of the roof’s shape and all of the relevant measurements. It’s important to get this information as accurately as possible, as miscalculations can lead to major problems later on. It’s also a good idea to use a construction calculator to help with the calculations and determine material quantities.

Once you have your materials, it’s time to start building the skeleton of your roof. You will first need to install temporary braces that the trusses can rest on until the sheathing and permanent bracing are installed. To do this, nail a two-by-six board that’s 16 feet long to the wall at the center of the back wall, then install another brace six feet to the left and right of that one.

Next, mark the location of each rafter end with a pencil and a framing square. Position the square with the 8 inch on the body of the square (the longer side) and the 12 inch on the blade (the shorter side). Make a mark along the backside of the tongue where it meets the body of the square to indicate the location of each plumb cut for the roof ridge. roof carpentry